Flush valve



June 30, 1959 ED 2,892,197

FLUSH VALVE Filed June 4, 1956 I al INVENTOR. EM. M FLJEDER Qdanndz+ WW HTTOR EYS Unit St e a FLUSH VALVE =Emil W. Flieder, Canby, v Application June 4, 1956, Serial No. 589,315

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-57) This invention relates to flow control valves and more particularly relates to toilet tank flush valves.

fAlthough several different types of valves have been used in toilet tanks for controlling flushing of water therefrom and into toilet bowls, substantially all of such valves 'have'had certain disadvantages. One of the most important of such disadvantages is that, after aperiod of .usage, a mineral or other accumulation. is deposited on the valve element in such quantities and in such places that the valve element will not tightly seat'when'the valve is closed, and as a result water will continuously leakthrough the valve from the tank. 'Another disadvantage of some types of flush valves is that the valve elementtrnay be caught or wedged against other structure in such a manner that when the valve is to be closed the valve element will be restrained from seating properlyi t With these-comments in mind, it is to the elimination of these and other disadvantages that myinven'tion is directed along with the inclusion therein of other novel and desirable features. p

object of myinvention is to provide a new'and improved flow control valve "of simple and inexpensive construction and operation for of water from atank. i

Another object ofmy invention is to provide a novel toilet tank flush valve having a valve element which, even after having been operated over a longpe'riod of time, will positivelyiiseat in water-sealing relation without being afiected by the normal accumulation of mineral and other deposits thereon. q l V Still another object of my invention-is to provide an improved toilet tank flush valve having, a valve element mounted; for movement toward and away from the valve seatforopeningand closing the valve and also mounted for I movement transversely of the seat for accurate seatingfl thereon. V a I ..Theseand other objects and advantages ofmy invention will more fully appear fromthe following descriptionriiadein connection with the accompanying drawings wherein likerefer'en'ce characters referto the satire parts throughoutthe several views and in which? Fig. l is a perspective view of a toilet tank which is partly broken away for showing the application of the present invention therein;

Fig. 2 is a detail elevation view of the valve comprising the present invention and showing the bottom wall of a toilet tank in section; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the invention showing the conventional overflow pipe of the toilet tank in horizontal section.

One form of the invention is disclosed herein and is shown in the drawings. The invention is adapted for use in a conventionally styled toilet tank 10 having the conventional flush handle 11 and having a bottom wall 12 with a casting 13 secured therein which defines a flow outlet 14 and a continuous and annular valve seat 15 controlling" the flushing the spherical valve element.

2,892,197 Patented June 30, 1959 2 which is tapered. The casting 13 also includes a mounting portion 16 for the conventional overflow pipe 17 in the toilet tank and the mounting portion 16 has a central flow opening 18 therein communicating with the charge opening 14 below the valve seat 15.

Bracket means are provided for clamping attachment to the valve seat casting 13 and for mounting a smoothly rounded and spherical buoyant valve element 19 for seating in water-sealing relation on the valve seat 15. Such bracket means includes an upstanding frame portion 20 having a pair of elongated clamping straps or members '21 and 22 which surround the valve seat casting 13 and the overflow pipe mounting portion 16 of the casting, and are releasably secured together by a bolt 23 having a wing nut 24 thereon. The frame portion has a pair of widely spaced arms 25 and 26 which extend generally horizontally away from the valve seat 15. The arms 25 and 26 are provided with elongated slots 25a and 26a respectively which extend generally longitudinally of arms 25 and 26 and transversely of the valve seat 15. A pivot shaft 27 extends through the slots 25a and 26a respectively and is movable therein transversely of the valveseat.

A mounting member 28 is swingably mounted on th pivot shaft 27 for movement upwardly away from. and downwardly toward the valve seat 15. In the formshown, the mounting member 28 is constructed of an elongated strip of rigid material such as metal or the like having. apertures 29 formed in the opposite ends thereof which receive the opposite ends of pivot shaft 27 adjacent the frame arms 25 and 26 respectively. The mounting member 28 substantially encircles the valve seat 15 and is disposed in spaced relation thereabove. An operating chain or connecting element 30 is secured to the mounting member 28 and will be connected With the handle 11 in a conventional manner for vertical shifting movement. 7

The spherical valve element 19 which may be formed similarly to a hollow rubber ball, is provided with an axle or trunnion shaft 31 which extends through the axis of Valve element 19 is normally disposed in engagement with the valve seat 15 and is disposed between the opposite sides of the mounting member 28. The shaft 31 extends through bearing apertures 32 in the opposite sides of mounting member 28 and is rotatable therein for rotatably mounting the valve element 19 for rotation about an axis thereof on the mounting member 28. As best seen in Fig. 3, it will be noted the valve element 19 is spaced along its rotation axis from the opposite sides of the mounting member 28, and the shaft 31 is freely slidable in an axial direction in the bearing apertures 32.

V A pair of stop elements 33 and 34 are aflixed to the frame arms 25 and 26 respectively and are disposed,

above the pivot shaft 27 in engageable relation with the opposite ends of mounting member 28 for restricting upward swinging of the mounting member and precluding movement thereof to a vertical position. Mounting member 28 is thereby swingable through an acute angle from the position shown in Fig. 2 so as to be swingable downwardly from its upwardly swung position by force of gravity.

In operation, the valve element 19 will normally be seated on the valve seat 15, and even though the valve element 19 is bouyant, the water pressure in the tank holds the valve element 19 against the valve seat. Handle 11 will be operated to pull upwardly on chain 30 and cause upward swinging of the mounting member 28 and the spherical valve element 19. When valve element 19 is raised off the seat 15, the downward force exerted on the valve element 19 by the water pressure is relieved ment and the seat. The bouyancy of the valve element and the upward tension on chain 30 swing the mounting member 28 about the pivot shaft 27 until the mounting member engages the stop elements 33' and 34. The bouyancy of the valve element 19 will maintain the mounting member 28 in upwardly swung position and will maintain the valve element in widely spaced relation with the valve seat to permit water to flow through the discharge 14.

Asthe valve element 19 moves upwardly, and when it is in its upper limit of movement, the turbulently flowing water moving downwardly through the discharge 14 will cause rotation of the ball about its axis. It should be particularly noted that as the valve element 19 commences upward swinging movement from the seat 15, one side of the valve element will move away from the valve seat faster than the other side and as a result, during the initial movement of the valve element, substantially more water will flow one side of the valve element and the corresponding portion of the valve seat than will flow along the opposite side of the valve element and the corresponding portion of the valve seat. Because of this greater flow along one portion of valve element 19 the water will tend to positively rotate the valve element in a given direction.

With the valve element in its uppermost position, the level of the water in the tank will move downwardly into proximity with the valve seat and as the level of the water approaches the -valve seat, valve element 19 will swing downwardly toward the valve seat on the surface of the water. The rushing of water through the discharge 14 along with the lowering of the water level in the tank cause the seating of the valve element against the annular valve seat 15. Because the valve element 19 has-previously rotated, and may still be rotating as it approaches the valve seat, the valve element will be oriented as it engages the valve seat in a difierent position about the rotation axis thereof than when previously engaged with the seat 15. As a result, the mineral deposits which collect on the valve element will not be concentrated in any one surface area of the valve element and the valve element will tightly seatagainst the valve seat 15 in watersealing relation.

It should further be noted that the water rushing downwardly through the discharge 14 will also properly position the valve element in alignment and complete engage ment with the valve seat. The valve element may be moved transversely of the valve seat in either direction, that is, in an axial direction longitudinally of the shaft 31, or in a direction transversely to the rotation axis. The axle 31 will shift in the apertures 32 to permit movement of the valve element in one direction and the movement of shaft 27 in the elongated slots 25a and 26a permit proper positioning of the valve element in the other direction.

It will therefore be seen that the valve element 19 will be oriented differently about the rotation axis thereof H n ka each time it is seated on the valve seat to prevent excessiveaccumulation of mineral or other deposits thereon, in such positions that seating of the valve element is hampered and the valve element will be positively positioned for accurate water-sealing engagement with the valve seat by action of the water rushing through the discharge.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention which consists of the matter shown and described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A tank discharge control valve comprising a continuous valve seat defining a flow outlet and being adapted for mounting adjacent the bottom of the tank, an upwardly swingable mounting member adjacent the valve seat, means mounting the mounting member on the valve seat for swinging movement and for. horizontal movement transversely of the swing axis, a bouyant and smoothly rounded valve element symmetrically formed about an axis and shaped to conform with the valve seat for engaging the same in Water-sealing relation, said axisextending generally transversely across the valve seat, ashaft mounting said valve elementand being coaxialwith said axis, said shaft being journalled on the mounting member for movement therewith upwardly away from the valve seat for lifting the valve element, and releasable. means for moving the mounting member away from the seat, whereby the valve element will rotate when swung upwardly away from thevalve seat with the mounting member to subsequently be oriented, difierently for seating again;

2. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein said shaft; is axially shiftably mounted on the mounting member, said mounting, means including a bracket attachable to; the valve seat, and a horizontal slot and pin connection. between the bracket and the mounting member, the pin lying parallel to the shaft, whereby to permit movement of the mounting member transversely of the rotation axis; of the valve element, whereby the valve element will be; shifted by the water in multi-directions transverselyofi the valve seat to be accurately seated thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,643,393 Karr June 30, 1953', 

